Air New Zealand’s Skycouch seems perfect for Hobbity kids

Transporting your family around the world is no easy matter.
We've done our fair share of flying with children sitting on our
laps when they were younger. It seemed like a pain at the time, but
now we face buying each of them a seat of their own I'm not so
sure.

We are in the process of planning a geeky family trip to New
Zealand next year. While I was investigating flights a couple
of pages about Air New Zealand caught my eye. First of all I liked
the sound of itsHobbit-themed flights, but more interesting
though was the sound of Skycouch
beds in economy.

Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-300ER offers specially designed
economy seats that turn into something close to a bed. Although
reports around the news seemed a little sniffy (passengers needed to buy tickets for all three seats to
use the bed) for a family of five it sounds ideal. Buying seats for
all three kids would feel a little easier with the thought that
they could cuddle up together and get some rest. If we do go with
an Air New Zealand flight I could imagine that my wife and I would
take turns getting some shut eye too.

It's this sort of approach to technology design -- aiming to deliver the same
experience to all customers regardless of ticket price -- that
really ticks the GeekDad box for me. There have been many times
I've been shuffling around in an economy seat trying to get to
sleep, when it's not been space but design that has hampered my
rest. This was also true when returning home on a half empty plane
recently, and still finding arm rests and seat trays
unaccommodating for comfort.

We've still plenty more planning for our tech-rich trip down
under (not least persuading the kid's schools that it's a good
idea), but currently Air New Zealand's innovation is top of our
list for flights. Maybe its Hobbit-themed flights will
offer family Halflings cheaper Skycouch seats, now that would be a
deal worth saving the pennies for.